I have an idea for a new business serving the paper crafting industry. I worked with Copilot on my idea to see if there is a market. Then we worked out the free tools I could use to do the job. Next I did the job manually. After that, I went to Claude and outlined the process and asked if it could automate it. It broke down the pieces it could do and stated what it couldn’t do. I selected one area to automate, built the app, tested it, and iterated until we got it to do what I wanted in an efficient manner. Tool: process images from an input directory and remove the background and place in an output directory and name the files according to my naming convention. Then create a docx file that contains all the images. From there I can check the output and resize to my liking. Things I added during iteration: 1. Log the files processed so if I add more images, it only processes the new ones 2. Have a default directory but let me override it 3. Changed output from pdf to Word so I could make final adjustments 4. Have Claude read the directory structure and ask me which sub directory I want to process (instead of having to enter the full path). Scaffolding Each theme follows the same directory structure. I have a template directory that I will copy and rename for each theme. Next tool: read a prompt file and generate several images to put into to input directory. Once that works, I will link the apps.

I am hosting a crafting retreat right now and listening to some live and some on replay. Here’s how I note some of the key takeaways in my journal called “Be the Hummingbird.”

Here is a list of the AI terminology I wish I had had when I started this summit last fall in 2025. I completed the AI advantage summit last fall and I had really limited AI experience then. This contains 100 essential key terms about AI and complete definitions.

The way you view obstacles will shape the way you experience life. If you see them as proof the path is wrong, you’ll stop. If you see them as unfair, you’ll resent them. If you see them as permanent, you’ll feel stuck. But if you see them as part of growth, everything changes. Because obstacles often show up for a reason. They reveal where you need to get stronger. They expose what needs to change. They build the capacity required for the next level of your life or business. So, I’ve learned to see obstacles as opportunity. Opportunity to overcome. Opportunity to learn. Opportunity to grow. Opportunity to increase my capacity. That doesn’t mean challenges are fun haha. But it does means they can be useful. The obstacle in front of you may not be there to block you. It’s likely there to develop you. To push you. To invite you into a whole new level. Because when you do overcome it, you don’t just get past the challenge. You gain the lesson you needed, the growth you needed, and the strength you needed to become the person who can hold the thing you’ve been asking for. Sometimes the obstacle isn’t separate from the path. Sometimes it is the path. So I’ll ask you… how do you view obstacles right now?

Hey guys! My name is Emerson. I dropped out of high school and spent 10 years mastering rough and finish carpentry – framing, trim, decks, fences, the real hands-on work. Along the way, I learned how the other trades work too: drywall, roofing, flooring, painting, and landscaping. Now I'm writing The Guide of a High School Dropout – one book that covers every major trade. It's not just technique. It's pricing, contracts, client scripts, and how to start a real career without a degree. I'm currently building my social media audience from zero, and I'll launch the book when the trust is there.